Sawing-machine fob felling teees



.IIN ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MATTHEW LUDWYIG, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

SAWINGr-MACHINE FOR FELLING TREES.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 17,686, dated June 30, 1857.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MATTHEW LUDWIG, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and Improved Machine for Sawing Down Standing Trees, and also for sawing fire or cord wood and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a side view or elevation of my improvement. Fig. 2 is a plan or top view of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts 1n each of the two figures.

This invention relates exclusively to an improvement in a machine, formerly patented by me, for sawing down standing trees, and also for sawing lire or cord wood.

The nature of my invention consists in the combination of the vibrating radius with the pitman, and saw stock; for the the purpose of guiding and rocking the saw circularly in its own plane. By thus guiding the saw, great simplicity is secured; and by having the saw to rock circularly in its own plane the teeth along its whole edge are rought into action at intervals, instead of all at once and thus much friction is avoided and the full power employed as necessary to drive the saw when cutting along its whole edge, is secured to operate upon but a small portion of the wood at a time, and the sawing consequently performed with greater s eed and with less labor. The saw also c ears itself more perfectly as fast as it cuts. And if the cutting edge of the saw be rounding all the teeth are brought into action and thus the liability of the central portion becoming dull first avoided.

To enable others skilled in the art to fully understand and construct my invention, I will proceed to describe it.

A represents a bed or platform, on one end of which an upright B is placed, and O is a snorter upright attached to the opposite end of the bed or platform; the upper end of the upright O being connected to the upright B by a horizontal bar D. The upper end of the upright B is slotted vertically; and a s ur wheel E is tted in the upper part of the s ot; the wheel E gearing into a pinion F. The shafts or axes of the wheel and pinion are fitted 1n suitable bearings attached to the upright B; and on one end of the shaft or axis of the pinion F a fly wheel G is placed; a crank H being attached to the opposite end of said shaft or aXis.

To the end of the crank H one end of a connecting rod I is attached; the opposite end of said rod being connected to the end of vibrating radius J. The end of the vibrating radius J, op osite to the end where the connecting rod Tis attached is pivoted to a horizontal bar K, which is secured at right angles to the upper part ol the upright C, as shown clearly in Fig. 2.

To the upper surface of the bar D, a horizontal bar L, is attached by one or more screw bolts (a). This bar has a guide plate or strip (b) attached to its upper surface, underneath which the vibrating radius J works. The end of the vibrating radius J, which works directly underneath the guideplate or strip (b) and upon the bar L, has a friction roller (c) upon it. And, to the end of said vibrating radius J adjoining the connecting rod I, a stock or bar M is attached by a metallic loop or eye (d). The stock or bar M passes through a sliding guide (e) attached to a bar N, which is secured at right angles to the bar L. The guide (e) is attached to a plate (f) the sides or edges of which are bent around and underneath the edges of the plate N, so that the guide (e), while moving on the bar N, will be retained in proper place or position. The guide (e) has a friction roller (g) placed within it, longitudinally; and the stock or bar M rests or bears upon this roller (g). A friction roller (71,) is also placed within the guide (6); said roller (h) bearing against the back edge or side of the stock or bar M.

To one end of the guide (e) a cord (i) is attached; this cord passes around a pulley (j) at the end of the bar N, and also passes over a pulley (7c) at the outer end of an arm (Z) which is attached to the upright B. The cord (i) has a weight (m) attached to its end.

O, is the saw, which is attached to the outer end of the stock or bar M.

From the above description of parts, it will be seen that the weight (m) will keep the saw O, fed to its work, and by turning the axis of the wheel E, a reciprocating circular motion will be iven the vibrating radius J, and consequentIy the same motion is communicated to the stock M and saW, O, Which Will Vact horizontally against the tree l? shown in black. n

In the machine formerly patented by me, a sleeve Was placed on the bar L, and the connecting rod Was attached to the sleeve and also the saw-stock. The sleeve created considerable friction, and considerable power Was required to operate the machine. The sawstock M Was also acted upon by a lever and Weight to feed the saW to its Work; and the Whole arrangement Was much more complicated than the one noW presented. In my improvement, the vibrating radius J transmits the reciprocating circular motion from the connecting rod to the saw-stock With but little friction; and the slide (e), With the Weight (m) attached, causes the saw to be fed to its Work in an even and steady manner; the feed being constant at all times.

This machine Will saW felled trees P, shoWn in red, into cord or fire Wood by merely securing the bar L to the side of the horizontal bar D, instead of securing it to its u er surface. This position of the bar L Wi cause the bar N to be in a vertical position, and the cord (t) may be passed over a pulley (il) at the top of the bar N, so that the Weight may keep the saW to its Work. This position of the bar L is shown in red. When the bar N is a justed in a vertical osition, the bar I rests upon a lever C1, the oWer end of Which Works on a fulcrum pin (al), the levers C1, and J, are not both connected at the same time.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is The combination of the vibrating radius J, With the pitman I, and saW stock M, for the pur ose of guiding and rocking the saW circular y in its oWn plane substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

MATTHEW LUDWIG.

Witnesses:

E. W. BIGELOW, JOHN CORRIGAN, S. D. WARD. 

